Fox Corp and YouTube TV Race Against Deadline to Avoid Channel Blackout
The numerous adherents of YouTube TV could be confronted with the loss of channels like Fox News, FS1, local Fox TV stations among others as the impending Wednesday deadline for a deal settlement between Fox Corp and the Google-owned YouTube TV looms. The standing YouTube TV agreement with Fox Corp is slated to lapse on the last Wednesday of August, at 5 p.m. ET. The beginning of the week saw Fox Corp initiate Movement restriction warnings linked to its channels on the platform of YouTube TV.
Fox Corp took the opportunity to emphasize the significance of major forthcoming sports happenings, stating, ‘YouTube TV consumers may be left out of some of the most exciting broadcast events this fall, encompassing NFL on Fox, College Football on Fox, FS1, along with the Big Ten Network, and MLB on both Fox and FS1.’ These assertions were captured on the company’s website. A press release from the corporation disclosed: ‘Despite Fox’s strong determination to reach a balanced accord with Google’s YouTube TV, we are disheartened by Google’s consistent leverage on its dominant position by suggesting terms that deviate from the normative marketplace standards.
Subscribers of YouTube TV, who follow Fox, have been forewarned about potential discontinuation of access to their preferred news, sports, entertainment, and local channel content unless Google takes a substantial leap soon.’ Reflecting the same sentiment, YouTube TV informed its ole of subscribers that the contract with Fox is due for renewal and negotiations are underway to strike a suitable deal for all involved, particularly the subscribers.
The communication from YouTube TV further elaborated, ‘Our prime objective is to retain Fox programming, involving channels like the Fox Broadcast Network, Fox News, and Fox Sports on YouTube TV. We harbor hopes of reaching a settlement, but we want clarity on the point that, if we fail to reach an agreement by August 27, their content may go off air.
YouTube laid out its stance on the matter saying that failure to finalize deal renewal with Fox Corp would lead to the inaccessibility of Fox content for an indefinitely long span of time. Meanwhile, they offer their YouTube TV subscribers a $10 credit.’
A potential blackout on YouTube TV could affect various channels including local Fox stations; BTN; Fox Business; Fox Deportes; Fox News; Fox Soccer Plus; Fox Soul; Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and Fox Sports 2 (FS2); Fox Weather;KTVU Plus; and LiveNow from Fox.
Customers of YouTube TV who have opted for Fox Nation as an add-on service, stand the risk of losing access to this service. Such disputes regarding carries are quite common in the pay-tv business realm, with the core issue often revolving around a programmer’s interest in procuring augmented fees from a publisher.